Unit One: Identity

Essential Question: Identity: What makes me who I am? What influences me?Stylistic focus: Tone (Students will examine various excerpts and identify the writers’ tone and respond.)DESCRIPTION: In this six-week unit, students will focus on theme of identity. By exploring characters through the lens of personal influences, students will be able to deconstruct what and how an individual’s life is shaped. Given that the title character in the first novel goes on a journey of self-discovery, this theme sets the foundation for this unit given that different facets of identity will be explored. Also, this is ideal as various figurative devices will be introduced/reviewed to demonstrate how language is used to give insight into a character’s psyche. Students will then read The Zoo Story and be introduced to the absurdist point of view. Through exploring human behaviors, students will engage in discussion about what defines ones humanity: are we humans or are we animals with reason? Given that absurdism is a branch of existentialism, students will then read The Stranger. The Stranger is ideal because it allows students to embed the theme of identity within existentialism. As students explore the main character’s choices and actions, they will engage in discussion about social conformity and whether an individual can be true to one’s self given social expectations.